The Alpine Seed Conservation and Research Network–a new initiative to conserve valuable plant species in the European Alps

Safeguarding plants as seeds in ex situ collections is a cost effective element in an integrated plant conservation approach. The European Alps are a regional centre of plant diversity. Six institutions have established a regional network covering the European Alps which will conserve at least 500 priority plant species and which will improve the conservation status of plant species in grassland communities in the subalpine, alpine and nival altitudinal belts. Targeted research will expand the knowledge of the ecology of target species. Public engagement activities will raise the awareness for the importance of specific conservation actions in the European Alps.     

Constraints on Vesta's elemental composition: Fast neutron measurements by Dawn's gamma ray and neutron detector

Surface composition information from Vesta is reported using fast neutron data collected by the gamma ray and neutron detector on the Dawn spacecraft. After correcting for variations due to hydrogen, fast neutrons show a compositional dynamic range and spatial variability that is consistent with variations in average atomic mass from howardite, eucrite, and diogenite (HED) meteorites. These data provide additional compositional evidence that Vesta is the parent body to HED meteorites. A subset of fast neutron data having lower statistical precision show spatial variations that are consistent with a 400 ppm variability in hydrogen concentrations across Vesta and supports the idea that Vesta's hydrogen is due to long‐term delivery of carbonaceous chondrite material.     

Tidal evolution of close binary asteroid systems

We provide a generalized discussion of tidal evolution to arbitrary order in the expansion of the gravitational potential between two spherical bodies of any mass ratio. To accurately reproduce the tidal evolution of a system at separations less than 5 times the radius of the larger primary component, the tidal potential due to the presence of a smaller secondary component is expanded in terms of Legendre polynomials to arbitrary order rather than truncated at leading order as is typically done in studies of well-separated system like the Earth and Moon. The equations of tidal evolution including tidal torques, the changes in spin rates of the components, and the change in semimajor axis (orbital separation) are then derived for binary asteroid systems with circular and equatorial mutual orbits. Accounting for higher-order terms in the tidal potential serves to speed up the tidal evolution of the system leading to underestimates in the time rates of change of the spin rates, semimajor axis, and mean motion in the mutual orbit if such corrections are ignored. Special attention is given to the effect of close orbits on the calculation of material properties of the components, in terms of the rigidity and tidal dissipation function, based on the tidal evolution of the system. It is found that accurate determinations of the physical parameters of the system, e.g., densities, sizes, and current separation, are typically more important than accounting for higher-order terms in the potential when calculating material properties. In the scope of the long-term tidal evolution of the semimajor axis and the component spin rates, correcting for close orbits is a small effect, but for an instantaneous rate of change in spin rate, semimajor axis, or mean motion, the close-orbit correction can be on the order of tens of percent. This work has possible implications for the determination of the Roche limit and for spin-state alteration during close flybys.     

Sublimation of the Martian CO2 Seasonal South Polar Cap

The polar condensation/sublimation of CO₂, that involve about one fourth of the atmosphere mass, is the major Martian climatic cycle. Early observations in visible and thermal infrared have shown that the sublimation of the Seasonal South Polar Cap (SSPC) is not symmetric around the geographic South Pole.Here we use observations by OMEGA/Mars Express in the near-infrared to detect unambiguously the presence of CO₂ at the surface, and to estimate albedo. Second, we estimate the sublimation of CO₂ released in the atmosphere and show that there is a two-step process. From Ls=180° to 220°, the sublimation is nearly symmetric with a slight advantage for the cryptic region. After Ls=220° the anti-cryptic region sublimation is stronger. Those two phases are not balanced such that there is 22% ± 9 more mass the anti-cryptic region, arguing for more snow precipitation. We compare those results with the MOLA height measurements. Finally we discuss implications for the Martian atmosphere about general circulation and gas tracers, e.g. Ar.     

On the formation of protostellar disks

An analysis is presented of the hydrodynamic aspects of the growth of protostellar disks from the accretion (or collapse) of a rotating gas cloud. The size, mass, and radiative properties of protostellar disks are determined by the distribution of mass and angular momentum in the clouds from which they are formed, as well as from the dissipative processes within the disks themselves. The angular momentum of the infalling cloud is redistributed by the action of turbulent viscosity on a shear layer near the surface of the disk (downstream of the accretion shock) and on the radial shear across cylindrical surfaces parallel to the rotation axis. The fraction of gas that is fed into a central core (protostar) during accretion depends on the ratio of the rate of viscous diffusion of angular momentum to the accretion rate; rapid viscous diffusion (or a low accretion rate) promotes a large core-to-disk mass ratio. The continuum radiation spectrum of a highly viscous disk is similar to that of a steady-state accretion disk without mass addition. It is possible to construct models of the primitive solar nebula as an accretion disk, formed by the collapse of a slowly rotating protostellar cloud, and containing the minimum mass required to account for the planets. Other models with more massive disks are also possible.     

The nondetection of continuum radiation from comet IRAS-Araki-Alcock (1983d) at 2- to 6-cm wavelengths and its implication on the icy-grain halo theory

Observations of Comet IRAS-Araki-Alcock have been made with the VLA (Very Large Array) at 6 and 2 cm, when the comet was at geocentric distances of 0.08 and 0.035 AU, respectively. The 3σ upper limits are 90 and 750 μJy at 6 and 2 cm, respectively. We show that the “conventional” icy-grain halo theory is not adequate to explain the data. If there is such a halo, it is either very thin, or does not contain grains with sizes larger than 10–100 μm. Comparison of our limits with a reported detection at 1.3-cm wavelengths shows that if the centimeter-wavelength radiation all arises in the halo, the halo should have an extent of the order of 300–400 km, but an effective area of 100 km². If only thermal emission from the nucleus is significant, the temperature decreases from about 200°K at the layers probed at 1.3 cm to about 50°K or less at depths probed at 2 cm (assuming unit emissivity at all wavelengths and depths). This can be due to a combination of a lower emissivity and lower physical temperature at larger depths in the comet; both effects are expected when considering theories on microwave emission from glaciers on Earth.     

Generalized Lagrangian orbital elements for central force problems

We consider the definitions and resulting equations of motion for the Lagrangian orbital elements associated with conventional osculating orbit theory for central forces. The analysis indicates that the definitions themselves lead to difficulties which are most apparent in the circular limit. An alternate set of defining relations is presented which eliminates the problems associated with osculating elements. The remaining equation of motion based on these new definitions is reduced to quadratures. This solution completely expresses the orbits for central force problems with no restriction on the eccentricity. Both bounded and open orbits are considered. A generalized Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector is developed and a number of example solutions are presented.     

Latest Pleistocene glacial chronology of the Uinta Mountains: support for moisture-driven asynchrony of the last deglaciation

Recent estimates of the timing of the last glaciation in the southern and western Uinta Mountains of northeastern Utah suggest that the start of ice retreat and the climate-driven regression of pluvial Lake Bonneville both occurred at approximately 16 cal. ka. To further explore the possible climatic relationship of Uinta Mountain glaciers and the lake, and to add to the glacial chronology of the Rocky Mountains, we assembled a range-wide chronology of latest Pleistocene terminal moraines based on seventy-four cosmogenic ¹⁰Be surface-exposure ages from seven glacial valleys. New cosmogenic-exposure ages from moraines in three northern and eastern valleys of the Uinta Mountains indicate that glaciers in these parts of the range began retreating at 22–20 ka, whereas previously reported cosmogenic-exposure ages from four southern and western valleys indicate that ice retreat began there between 18 and 16.5 ka. This spatial asynchrony in the start of the last deglaciation was accompanied by a 400-m east-to-west decline in glacier equilibrium-line altitudes across the Uinta Mountains. When considered together, these two lines of evidence support the hypothesis that Lake Bonneville influenced the mass balance of glaciers in southern and western valleys of the range, but had a lesser impact on glaciers located farther east. Regional-scale variability in the timing of latest Pleistocene deglaciation in the Rocky Mountains may also reflect changing precipitation patterns, thereby highlighting the importance of precipitation controls on the mass balance of Pleistocene mountain glaciers.     

Parameter estimation in semi‐distributed hydrological catchment modelling using a multi‐criteria objective function

Output generated by hydrologic simulation models is traditionally calibrated and validated using split‐samples of observed time series of total water flow, measured at the drainage outlet of the river basin. Although this approach might yield an optimal set of model parameters, capable of reproducing the total flow, it has been observed that the flow components making up the total flow are often poorly reproduced. Previous research suggests that notwithstanding the underlying physical processes are often poorly mimicked through calibration of a set of parameters hydrologic models most of the time acceptably estimates the total flow. The objective of this study was to calibrate and validate a computer‐based hydrologic model with respect to the total and slow flow. The quick flow component used in this study was taken as the difference between the total and slow flow. Model calibrations were pursued on the basis of comparing the simulated output with the observed total and slow flow using qualitative (graphical) assessments and quantitative (statistical) indicators. The study was conducted using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model and a 10‐year historical record (1986–1995) of the daily flow components of the Grote Nete River basin (Belgium). The data of the period 1986–1989 were used for model calibration and data of the period 1990–1995 for model validation. The predicted daily average total flow matched the observed values with a Nash–Sutcliff coefficient of 0·67 during calibration and 0·66 during validation. The Nash–Sutcliff coefficient for slow flow was 0·72 during calibration and 0·61 during validation. Analysis of high and low flows indicated that the model is unbiased. A sensitivity analysis revealed that for the modelling of the daily total flow, accurate estimation of all 10 calibration parameters in the SWAT model is justified, while for the slow flow processes only 4 out of the set of 10 parameters were identified as most sensitive. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical analysis of 1‐D compression wave propagation in saturated poroelastic media

A numerical procedure is presented for the simulation of 1‐D compression wave propagation in saturated poroelastic media. The media are modelled as a two‐phase system consisting of compressible fluid and solids. Viscous coupling forces resulting from the relative motion between phases are characterized as Darcy type. The numerical procedure can account for effects of axial strain, nonlinear material behaviour, and various drained and undrained boundary conditions. Time integration is carried out explicitly and isothermal conditions are assumed. The method is capable of modelling shock wave fronts without introducing artificial viscosity. Numerical results are in close agreement with analytical solutions for several simplified cases and indicate that mass coupling may have important effects on fluid velocity and wave speed. Corresponding effects on solid velocity and wave speed are much smaller. Numerical results also indicate that damping occurs in a saturated poroelastic column and is dependent on the value of hydraulic conductivity. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.